September is both Suicide Prevention Awareness Month and Emotional Resilience Month, providing us with a meaningful reminder that mental health isn’t just about what we do when we’re struggling. It’s also about building the skills, connections, and resources that help us navigate life’s challenges before they become overwhelming.
Suicide prevention is often thought of as responding to a crisis, but prevention also happens every day. Research identifies protective factors: including coping and problem-solving skills, supportive relationships, connectedness, positive self-esteem, and a sense of purpose as factors that can help buffer us during difficult times. Think of these protective factors as mental health muscles. The more we practice using them when things are going well, the stronger we become when life gets difficult.
- Strengthen Your Connections
Why it matters:
We aren’t meant to navigate difficult experiences alone. Feeling connected to family, friends, coworkers, community, or other supportive people can reduce isolation and increase our sense of belonging and worth. Connectedness is recognized as an important protective factor in suicide prevention.
Try this:
Don’t wait until you need support to connect. Make connection part of your routine.
- Send a text to someone you care about.
- Schedule a regular coffee or phone call with a friend.
- Join a group, class, team, or community organization.
- Tell someone, “I’ve had a hard day,” rather than automatically saying, “I’m fine.”
Mindset shift:
“I don’t have to handle everything by myself.”
- Practice Coping Before You Need It
Why it matters:
When we’re overwhelmed, it can be difficult to think clearly or remember what usually helps. Developing healthy coping strategies ahead of time gives us options when stress, sadness, anxiety, or frustration increases. Coping and problem-solving skills are recognized protective factors.
Try this:
Create your own Mental Health Toolbox. Choose a few strategies from each category:
Calm: deep breathing, meditation, grounding, stretching
Move: walking, exercise, dancing, getting outside
Express: journaling, drawing, talking, music
Recharge: sleep, quiet time, hobbies, taking a break
Connect: call a friend, spend time with family, attend therapy
The goal isn’t to find one perfect coping skill. It’s to build a collection of tools you can choose from.
- Challenge the Thoughts That Pull You Down
Why it matters:
When we’re struggling, our thoughts can become more negative, rigid, or hopeless. We may begin thinking, “I can’t handle this,” “Nothing will change,” or “I’m a failure.” Learning to notice these thoughts rather than automatically believing them can create space for a different response.
Try this: The Thought Check. When you notice a difficult thought, pause and ask:
What am I telling myself?
I’m never going to get through this.
Is this a fact or a feeling?
I’m feeling overwhelmed right now.
What would I say to someone I love?
This is really hard, but you don’t have to figure everything out today.
What is one small thing I can do next?
Make the phone call. Take a shower. Go for a walk. Ask for help.
You don’t have to replace every negative thought with a positive one. Sometimes a more realistic thought is enough: “This is hard right now but hard does not mean hopeless.”
- Give Yourself Reasons to Keep Moving Forward
Why it matters:
A sense of purpose, meaning, and reasons for living can be an important protective factor. Purpose doesn’t have to mean having your entire life figured out. It can be as simple as a relationship you value, something you’re looking forward to, a responsibility that matters to you, or a goal you’re working toward.
Try this: Create a “Reasons to Keep Going” List. Write down five things that give your life meaning, comfort, connection, or something to look forward to.
They might be:
- People I love
- Places I want to visit
- Things I want to accomplish
- Pets who need me
- Activities that make me feel like myself
- People I want to help
- Small things I look forward to
- Experiences I haven’t had yet
Keep the list somewhere accessible and add to it over time.
- Make Asking for Help Part of Your Mental Health Plan
Why it matters:
Resilience doesn’t mean being able to handle everything on your own. In fact, knowing when to reach out is a sign of resilience. Support from trusted people and access to mental health care are important protective factors.
Try this:
Identify your Mental Health Support Team before you need them.
Ask yourself:
- Who can I talk to when I’m having a difficult day?
- Who will listen without judging me?
- Who could help me find professional support if I need it?
- Who could I call if I didn’t know what to do next?
Then practice saying: “I’m having a harder time than usual, and I could use some support.”
You don’t need to have the right words. You simply need to start the conversation.
Resilience Isn’t About Never Struggling
Perhaps the most important thing to remember is that resilience doesn’t mean we never struggle, feel overwhelmed, or need help. Resilience is our ability to adapt, recover, seek support, learn new skills, and continue moving forward, even when life doesn’t go according to plan. And sometimes, taking care of your mental health means recognizing that your own tools aren’t enough right now. That’s not failure. It’s information.
If you or someone you care about is experiencing significant changes in mood, thoughts, behavior, or daily functioning, reaching out to a mental health professional can be an important next step. SAMHSA also recommends seeking help when changes in thoughts, moods, or physical well-being begin interfering with daily life. If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health or suicide-related crisis, call or text 988 to connect with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Support is available 24/7.
